Panel and support therefor



R. W. SHANNON 2,158,732

PANEL AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Aug. 19, 1935 Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Randolph w. Shannon, Washington, D. 0.

Application August 19. 1935, Serial No. 36,928 8 Claims. (01. zo-is) This invention relates to improvements in panels and supports therefor and includes novel panel structure and novel panel supporting. means, each alone and in combination.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of my copending application Serial No. 664,- 036, flled April 1, 1933.

An object of the invention is to provide panels having edge slots disposed between front and rear faces thereof, which panels are adapted to be supported by means concealed from the front thereof whereby the assembled panels present a decorative or attractive appearance. The term panels is used herein in its broad sense to include building boards, tiles, and the like composed of any suitable material.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for supporting panels having edge slots, which means may be in the form of a adapted to engage the slotted portions of panels and thereby support the same.

A further object is to provide supporting means of the above character which is adapted to support slotted panels of a variety of constructions and which is further adapted to support such panels at any angles desired and in a variety of manners.

Where panels are used, the adjacent edges of which are spaced when assembled, it is a further f object of the invention to provide a cap or sealing means adapted to substantially fit the area between adjacent panel edges and conceal the supporting means from the panel front. v The invention further includes such other objects as may be apparent from the following detailed explanation, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention have been selected for exempliilcation.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a fragmentary end perspective of a preferred form of panel and supporting strip comprehended by the invention in assembly;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of a laminated panel having novel edge construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end perspective of continuous strip or short sections having flanges Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing another form of cap completely inserted; and

Figures 6, '7, and 8 are fragmentary sections of assembled panels and supporting means which illustrate varied manners of supporting panels at angles to each other.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Figure 1 thereof illustrates a preferred type of panel supporting means III which comprises a channel-shaped web l2 having flanges ll extending outwardly therefrom. The supporting means in is preferably in the form of an elongated strip or series of elongated strips adapted to extend substantially continuous with the panels to be supported but may, if desired, be in the form of a series of relatively short lengths. The strip is adapted to be attached to any portion of building framework, for example, studs, joists, furring strips or the like, by any convenient means such as nails or wire, for which purpose the base of web I! may be apertured, or such as welding or soldering.

As clearly shown in Figure 1, the strip l0 may support panels 86 which have edge slots l8 disposed between front and rear faces thereof 20 and 22, respectively. In the novel form of panel shown, the rear portion thereof is set back as at 24 to provide a housing for web i2 of the strip whereby front edges of the panels may substantially meet to provide a close joint and a smooth and attractive appearance to the panel assembly. The extreme front edges of the panels may be beveled as shownin the drawing, or the panel fronts may otherwise be ornamented in any desired manner. While the novel edge structures shown in panels l6 are particularly. adapted for support by a means such as, It, it is understood that any other type of suitable supporting means may be used therewith.

The present invention may have specific application to panels or tiles of laminated structure, such as shown in Figure 2, wherein the outer layer 26 and inner layer 18 are joined by means of cement or the like 30. The outer layer 26 may be of fibrous sound-deadening material or merely decorative, and the inner layer 28 may be of fire-- resistant or insulating material. This modified panel embodies the novel edge structure of panel I6, and accordingly the edge of the rear or inner layer 28 may be set of! from the edge of the front or outer layer 26 to provide a housing for the supporting strip, and the cemented area may be set back to provide a slot for the flanges of the strip.

Danel front.

Panel or tile 32 shown in Figure 3 is of conventional design and has edge surfaces on either side of slot or groove 34 in the same plane. When this type of panel is assembled with the novel sup-.

porting means of the present invention, the front edges of adjacent'panels will remain spaced apart and the supporting means will be visible from the To render the assembly of panels of this character more attractive in appearance or to provide a substantially air-tight joint, the present invention comprehends the provision of caps or concealing means which may be substantially coextensive with said spaced a'rea and which are provided with projections which engage the panel slots to anchor the cap in place. A suggested embodiment for a cap of this character is shown in Figure 3, wherein the body portion 34 thereof is of substantially the same width as the space between the adjacent panel edges and is provided with flanges I which anchor the device in slots 33 of the panels. The body portion 34 of the cap may be of the same material as the panels or may be of material giving a contrasting appearance.

Modifled forms 01' caps}. and ll are shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively. In Figure 4 the cap 38 may be ofresilient material having flanges 42 which are adapted to spring into slots ll when the device is urged into position. In Figure 5 the cap 40 of still another form is shown having flanges 44 thereof sprung into slots 33 of the panel whereby the cap is securely anchored. The caps or concealing means shown herein may, of course, be used with panels supported by meansother than as shown.

The novel panel or tile supporting means of the present invention is adapted to a variety of specific uses with slotted edge panels, as exemplifled in Figures 6, 7, and 8. The flanges it of strip it may be capable of being bent to assume variant angles with respect to each other, and in this manner the strip lends itself to a variety of uses other than those described above. In Figure 6, wherein is shown the preferred type of panels it in angular or corner assembly, a plurality of strips ill may be used, and the adjacent flanges thereof may be bent backward to engage the beam or other building member to which the strips in are attached to provide bracing means for the strips or merely to escape adjacent flanges. Figure 7 illustrates panels of the character shown in Figure 3, assembled at right angles to each other by means of a single supporting'strip III which may have one of its flanges l4 bent forward to engage the slot I3 oi. the facing edge of the panel. Figure 8 illustrates another form of corner assembly using a pair of strips, one of the strips having one flange thereof forwardly bent to extend into the same slot as the flange of the companion strip, while the remaining flange of the companion strip engages and braces the web portion of the first strip.

It is intended that the various applications of the novel structures shown and described herein are exemplary only, and many other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is also understood that the herein specific structures do not limit the invention but merely typify the same and are capable of various modifications within the concept of the invention.

ing strip therefor, said strip comprising a laterally resilient channel-shaped web and oppositely disposed flanges extending outwardly therefrom, slots provided between the front and rear faces of said panel at the edges thereof to be supported, said slots adapted to receive said flanges, and means provided at the front of said panel and anchored in said slots to conceal said strip.

3. In a panel board assembly wherein edges of the panels are provided with slots, a supporting strip comprising a laterally resilient channelshaped web, oppositely disposed flanges extending laterally therefrom, said flanges being fitted into the slotted portions of said panels, and a grooved portion at the rear of the panel to house said web whereby the web will be concealed fmm the front of the panel assembly.

4. In a panel board comprising rear and front layers of material, said board adapted to be supported in edge-to-edge relationship with other panels by means invisible from the front thereof, slots disposed between the front and rear faces of said panel at the edges thereof to be supported. said slots adapted to receive the panel engaging portion of said supporting means, and said rear layer being set back from the edge of said front layer to provide a housing said supporting means.

5. A device for supporting panels having'slotted edges comprising a laterally resilient channelshaped web and flanges extending outwardly therefrom, said flanges being adapted to enter said slots and support the panels.

6. A device for supporting panels having slotted edges comprising a channel-shaped web and flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a portion at least of said-flanges being adapted to enter said slots-and support the panels, said flanges being further adapted to assume variant angles with respect to said web.

7. A device for supporting panels having slotted edgesv comprising a web, oppositely disposed flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a portion at least of said flanges being adapted to enter said slots and support the panels, and a portion at least of said flanges being adapted to assume variant angles with respect to said web.

8. 'In a device for supporting panels by means of slots disposed in the edges of the panels intermediate their front and rear faces, means for concealing said device from the panel front comprising a cap having a width at least substantially equivalent to the distance between adjacent panel supported edges, a body portion for said cap extending from the front faces of the panels to the slots and securing flanges extending laterally from said body portion and adapted to engage said slots.-

for the remainder of RANDOLPH w. SHANNON. 

